SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: MEET ATHENIA CONSTANTINE, OWNER OF MONEY ISLAND, HOME OF FREE LINDENS! -Lanai Jarrico Reporting…

Staff Reporter • Sunday, October 24, 2010

When I think of a Money Island, I image fun in the sun while frolicking with a wad of never ending cash at my disposal. But I can’t be too realistic when it comes to Second Life. So, the next best thing to money growing on trees is Money Island. It offers visitors different ways to make Lindens. From convenient ATMS and live entertainment, to treasure hunts and fishing for lindens. There is plenty to do here.

Many residents have heard of this staple of the SL, but who owns it? If you aren't sure, Meet Athenia Constantine




SLE: Who is Athenia Constantine?

Athenia: I am the owner of Money Island.  I love learning how to make textures
and things and then create from my imagination.  The potentials for
commercial rewards of my efforts are secondary to my creative and social
joys though. I find great pleasure in greeting visitors to Money Island
and hosting events.  It's so fascinating that SL reaches people from all
over the world and even though there may be a language barrier at times,
I can communicate using my translator.  I also enjoy helping out the
musicians of SL. Recently I started a small commercial endeavor in SL
called Custom Signs by Athenia whereby I create gorgeous custom signs.
Some other things I enjoy doing are walking along the Money Island beach
at sunset. But seriously, mostly what I enjoy now for my creative outlet
is decorating the island with sounds, plants and animals, exploring
various locations, and shopping.


SLE: What brought you to Second Life?
Athenia: My friend had joined Second Life and it sounded like a lot of fun even
though I still had trouble understanding it entirely.


SLE: How long have you been here?
Athenia: I joined Second Life January 20, 2007 as another avatar.


SLE: Is Second Life an extension of your real life or just a game for
leisure?
Athenia: It's an extension for me because it is what I make of it. As I learn to
do more, I gain more joy from social interaction and creative outlets
and hopefully some financial gain at least enough to pay for itself.



SLE: How has your view of it changed through the years?
Athenia: At first I felt very isolated, clumsy and ignorant of its potential.  I
thought SL was only about chatting with people and trying to figure out
my inventory.  Like many newbies, I did very boring things like sit on
camping chairs or dance for L$1 for 15  minutes.  I started a small
retail internet business outside of SL and found I could rent ad boards
at Money Tree Island region owned by Tray Dyrssen.  He graciously helped
me load the ad boards and we became good friends. One day he told me
that he was selling Money Island so I bought it mostly to explore the
commercial aspects of SL.  At the present time, I am having so much fun
making Money Island into a beautiful tropical paradise.

SLE: What made you create Money Island?  What is your objective?
Athenia: Money Island  existed before I purchased it but now I am making it into
my own unique creation. With the help of my wonderful and very talented
friend TedTheRushBandFan Hammerer and other helpful friends, we are in
the ongoing process of transforming the region into a lush tropical
paradise that is tantalizing to the senses, has interesting and
educational information, and most of all, has good clean fun and is easy
for newbies as well as seasoned residents.  Money Island offers fun
with some kind of social benefit instead of violence or base hedonism.
My dream is to create a friendly tropical atmosphere somewhat like that
television show a long time ago called Fantasy Island, where people can
make friends, explore amazing areas of natural beauty and participate in
fun events.


SLE: What does it have to offer that separates it from other locations
claiming to give away free lindens?

Athenia: Money Island offers many things such as events, activities, pretty areas
to explore and various ways to make money.  Some events would include
the two types of treasure hunts, contests, live concerts and Djs.  Some
of the activities would include fishing, swimming, shopping, dancing,
sun bathing, taking surveys, Lucky Chairs and driving around in a free
taxi buggy.  The island is quite diverse with many areas to explore
such as the Caves of Many Wonders.  Once inside the caves, the ambiance
is spectacular!  There residents will find the dramatic Amphitheater
for dancing and contests, gorgeous    Fantasy Fountains for relaxing,  a
sensational Juice Bar for having a snack and much more. The island also
has breathtaking Crystal Mountain with cascading waterfalls, a beautiful
fresh water pond, and a scenic overlook. It’s even fun to drop down into
the waterfalls and splash into the water below!  The sound effects are
great.  The island is also home to a large array of tropical fish
located in its magnificent coral reef.  If adventurous, residents can
ride a stingray.  There is also a white sand beach for sunbathing and
swimming as well as a Freebies Shop.


SLE; Are there jobs available on Money Island?  If so, what's available?
Athenia: Yes there are Greeter jobs and DJ jobs.


SLE; What kind of events should visitors expect to see while touring the
island?
Athenia: The very first thing that people will notice when they land on Money
Island is the beautiful huge thatched roof building, called a palapa,
filled with realistic nature sounds for soothing immersion.  One of the
most popular events is the Treasure Hunt game created by
TedTheRushBandFan Hammerer. The treasures are hidden all over and the
items are gems and coins that give various amounts of L$ when touched.
I think the greatest thing about Ted's Treasure Hunt game is how easy it
is to make custom treasure items exclusive to Money Island.  The
Treasure Hunt is 2-3 times a week and once on a weekend.  There is also
another treasure hunt which residents can do any time where they look
for leaves and are given clues.

SLE: Do you rent stores?  If so, what is available?
Athenia: Yes, I rent three different sized shops on a monthly basis and have
numerous availabilities.  I also rent out ad boards.  However, the shops
will be remodeled into a similar style as the palapa to fit the theme of
a tropical island paradise.

SLE: Do you sell merchandise?
Yes, I have shops with all kinds of merchandise for sale.

SLE; Any upcoming events?

Athenia: Not yet.  However, during Easter I have a Music Awareness Concert.  This
is broadcast live 100 hours on FCMC Radio, an internet radio station. We
have a different musician every hour which is held on Money Island's
beach.  Throughthesewalls Moody promotes the concert and sets everything
up for me with her company MusicNotPolitics.com.

A big thank you to Moody for doing this.  Thank you to all the
wonderful musicians who make this possible for everyone to enjoy.  The
Music Awareness Concert is awesome and I never realized how many
talented artists there were on SL.



SLE; Any contest or specials?
Athenia: I do have contests, but none scheduled at the present time.  All the
contests are free to enter.  Please check the EVENTS kiosk in Money
Island’s landing area for this.


SLE: How can I find more information about the different ways to get free
lindens?
Athenia:  That's very easy to do.  The landing area is divided into four main
kiosks; EVENTS, LOCATIONS, MAKE MONEY, ATMs.  All a resident has to do
is left click anything he or she is interested in doing and they
automatically get a notecard describing in detail of what they clicked
on.  The Events kiosk describes all the upcoming events, the Locations
kiosk has teleporters to various locations on the Money Island, although
one can find them from walking or flying around; the MAKE MONEY kiosk is
probably the best starting kiosk as that will explain "How to Make Money
on Money Island" AND "How to Make Money on Second Life"; and the ATM
kiosk.

SLURL:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Money%20Island/128/128/30/?title=Money%20Island

Group:  Money Island VIP and Money Island

Twitter:  SLMoneyIsland